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Independence Day Challenge
Today is America’s birthday. People across the country will celebrate by attending parades, shooting off fireworks, cooking out in the back yard, or maybe going to a baseball game. Regardless of the specific activities one chooses, the general focus of the holiday is on patriotism. Of course, patriotism is an abstract concept that is difficult… Continue reading
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Dunkirk
There is an episode of M*A*S*H in which Hawkeye is tending to a patient and talking about that man’s hometown. Hawkeye describes a number of the town’s landmarks including an American Legion Hall, a restaurant that serves “the world’s greasiest French fries,” and a Studebaker dealership that heralded the arrival of new models with searchlights.… Continue reading
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National Comedy Center
Jen and I traveled to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York yesterday. I’ll probably have some thoughts about the attraction and the overall trip in a later post, but for now, here are some photos we took during the visit. I’m not including any captions or context for these shots. These exhibits are… Continue reading
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Frost
I go down some unexpected YouTube rabbit holes. A couple weeks ago, I stumbled across a video of Robert Frost reading his poetry. I’ve never been drawn to poetry, but I watched the video and a funny thing happened: All those famous poems that I was supposed to read for high school English classes but… Continue reading
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Lake Neatahwanta
A weird habit that I’ve adopted in the smartphone age is that pretty much any time I come across a nice-looking lake, I’ll take a picture of it. That keeps my camera busy since Upstate New York is very much a target-rich environment for nice-looking lakes. Ironically, one lake I don’t pay a lot of… Continue reading
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Canadian Wildfires Redux
Smoke from the wildfires returned to CNY today. So far, it isn’t nearly as bad as it was a few weeks ago, but the unmistakable campfire-like smell was in the air in Syracuse late this afternoon. It’s odd how much a natural disaster can evoke childhood memories of toasting marshmallows. Driving home on 690, I… Continue reading
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I Got a Dear John Letter from My Podcast App
One of the concepts I’ve taught in my consumer behavior course over the years is “cognitive lock-in.” That refers to a type of customer loyalty that can exist with technology products, wherein the user gets comfortable with the particulars of an interface over time and is reluctant to switch to a competitor simply because they… Continue reading
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Career Advice for the Grads
High-school graduation season recently wrapped up here in Central New York. I don’t know any of this year’s grads, but seeing the signs and balloons around town makes me a bit melancholy. I felt the same way when I watched SUNY Oswego’s graduation ceremony last month. Graduations are hopeful times, but they can also be… Continue reading
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Silas Towne, Mexico Point, & Spy Island
A couple weeks ago, I traveled to the Oriskany battlefield and Fort Stanwix. I didn’t know it at the time, but an interesting prelude to the Oriskany battle unfolded at a place called Mexico Point, just 15 miles from my home. The story goes that there was a patriot spy named Silas Towne who was… Continue reading
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The Streak
I have a usage streak on the Duolingo app that’s coming up on two years. That is not a brag, but rather a confession — maybe even a cry for help. The truth is, I’d like to quit the damn thing and be done with it, but the psychologically manipulative gamification of the app has… Continue reading
About Me
Researcher. Marketer. Teacher. Father of adult children and dogs. 20th Century holdover. Central New York native. Long-suffering Buffalo Bills fan. History nerd. Traveler. Vintage advertising enthusiast. Hat wearer.
a.k.a. V.J. 